Substance over style

Given the tragic fire that occurred at a block of flats in north Kensington in June, and the concerns about the type of cladding used on the exterior of the building, we might find that householders’ taste for exterior cladding will diminish. Here at the Blog we certainly hope so, if an appeal case in northeast London (DCS Number 400-016-628) is a representative example of what is currently being put forward for planning permission. Quite apart from the safety considerations, which must now demand the closest scrutiny, the inspector describes a proposal which sounds architecturally ghastly.

The appeal related to a traditional two-storey brick terraced house which had been converted into two flats. The building had two-storey projecting polygonal bay windows with contrasting brickwork, decorative architectural moulding around the bay windows and the original porch detail above the front door. The proposal involved expanded polystyrene external wall insulation being installed on both the front and rear elevations. This insulation would then be covered in a silicon render of an off-white colour. Together, they would have a depth of approximately 90mm. The inspector considered that the insulation and render would result in an incongruous and unsympathetic addition to the property, and when viewed in the context of its traditional terraced surroundings, the protruding wall insulation and render would detract from the streetscene. The appellant argued that the detailing around the bay windows and front door could be replicated so that the existing architectural features would be retained in a similar form. The inspector reasoned that even if the architectural features could be replicated, given the increased depth of the property with the external wall insulation and silicon render, the replica detailing would also project forward of the matching architectural detailing on the adjoining properties. This would emphasise the incompatible nature of the proposed development with its neighbours. Unsurprisingly, the inspector concluded that the proposal would not respect the character and appearance of the appeal property and the streetscene.

The government will bring forward most of its controversial package of new permitted development (PD) rights and use class flexibilities that aim to boost ailing high streets, but it is still considering proposals to allow office demolition for new homes, housing secretary James Brokenshire announced this afternoon.

A decision on whether to develop a "spatial vision" for the Oxford to Cambridge growth arc has still not been made, ministers have confirmed, just a few days after the government's infrastructure adviser warned that failure to do so could compromise the success of the project.

The government has pledged to publish additional planning guidance on housing diversification on large sites in its response to Sir Oliver Letwin's review of build-out rates, but has again stopped short of pledging stronger powers to allow councils to capture land value uplift.

The chancellor has unveiled a raft of funding pledges for housing and infrastructure, including £717 million from the Housing Infrastructure Fund to support the delivery of homes at sites in London and Cheshire.

The housing minister Kit Malthouse has suggested that the government could be willing to offer council's flexibility in meeting the requirements of the housing delivery test to ensure that new homes adhere to high design standards.

The housing secretary is to reconsider his refusal of plans for a 220-home, 17-storey tower in south London against the advice of a planning inspector, after conceding that he failed to give adequate reasons to justify the refusal, according to the local authority concerned.

A claim that a newly-reopened galley in Milton Keynes makes the new town "exciting all over again" and attempts to embody the settlement's original "spirit of excitement about the future" features in today's newspaper round-up.